The christmas brides col.., p.19
The Christmas Brides Collection, page 19
“I know you.” He then came over and cupped a hand around his mouth. “An’ I saw what you dun, too. I shore did.”
Uneasiness filled Seth. He took a step back. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Ol’ Jack here knows what happened at the Lacy house. You were there and Ol’ Jack was there, too, you see. I dun saw it all.”
Seth stared wide-eyed. “You’re the gardener Mrs. Green called Uncle Jack, aren’t you?”
“Yep, that’s me alrighty. You didn’t see me, nope. I was takin’ care of the horses. But they had you in and out of the barn there at the house. I heard them braggin’, them two soldiers, too. They say they wuz gonna hang you high. They would hang you with that picture of your sweetheart before your eyes, lessen you agreed to help them. ‘Course I nevah believed the colonel would let them do all that. But they wuz desperate men. They wanted to win this here battle. They had to do what they were fixin’ to do.” He came up to Seth. “And you dun the right thing, helpin’ them. You dun what you had to do. Ain’t no shame for it.”
“But it may have hurt a lot of people.”
“Lookie here, what you dun told them didn’t change nuthin’. They would’ve blown Fredericksburg to kingdom come anyway, with or without your help. So don’t you go blamin’ yourself for what happened, even if they says you’s some Yankee lover.”
“Yeah, a Yankee lover,” he said grimly.
“Lookie here. Between you and me, I’m glad you did what you did. Them men in blue, they’s fightin’ for Abe Lincoln and to set me free to do what I wanna do and be who I wanna be. You talk about sufferin’? Think about what my brethren are sufferin’. And Mr. Lincoln there, he dun signed that there Emancipation Proclamation. And that’s worth fightin’ for.”
Seth stared quietly.
“So why you here anyways? To talk to the massah?”
“Maybe it was to talk to a man like you.”
“Humph. Many here don’t think I’m some man like you say. They think we’s just property. That’s all we are.”
“You’re most certainly a man, Uncle Jack. And you’re a man who can speak words of healing and wisdom to another man’s soul. I don’t believe in slavery. I never have. If what I did helped to free a man like you, I would feel better about it.”
“You’s right about that. You do what you do for lots of reasons, you know. For your sweetheart. And for me, too. Those men in blue … they ain’t the enemy, you know. Nor the men in gray neither. Pride’s the enemy. You gotta stand against the pride, Mr. Madison. Work for good, for your neighbor. That’s the only way we’re gonna win, if we’re standing together, helpin’ each other. Love your neighbor, like the Good Book says.” He extended his hand then.
Seth grabbed hold of the man’s hand and shook it. When he did, he felt the burden of his soul begin to lift. Praise filled his inner being. “Thank you, Uncle Jack. This has meant more to me than I can say.”
“Should I go git Mr. Green there and tell him you’re here?”
Seth backpedaled, releasing the man’s hand. “No, no, that’s all right. I think I found the answer I was looking for. Thank you.” He wheeled then and took hold of the horse’s reins, unwinding them from the tree trunk. “You don’t need to tell them I was here, either.”
Just then he saw a figure emerge from the house. It was a woman in a fancy dress. She waved frantically, calling out his name. To his astonishment, the woman was Mrs. Green.
“Oh, Seth, I’m so glad you came by. How are you?”
Seth was unsure what to say but told her he was well and wished her a pleasant Christmas Day.
“Yes, and the same to you.” She hesitated at first. “I wanted to say that I’m ashamed for what happened yesterday. I told my husband I sent you to our daughter’s house to make certain everything was all right—that I’d asked you to go, even though it was dangerous. And Uncle Jack told us what happened, how the terrible Yankees forced you to help them. Even using your poor sweetheart against you. My husband had no right to accuse you like he did. Can you ever forgive us?”
Seth stared in amazement at this announcement. “Of course, Mrs. Green. That’s very kind of you.”
“Kindness nothing. There was no kindness, and for that I feel ashamed.” She handed him a small drawstring bag. “Here is the money we owe. You sacrificed so much to help us, and I’m indebted to you. I hope this money helps some. It’s not Confederate notes either.”
She offered a smile. Uncle Jack smiled also with his set of stained and missing teeth. To Seth, the smiles were sent from heaven above. A wave of relief flooded his soul.
Offering a farewell, he returned to his horse with a skip to his step and a ballad of thankfulness on his lips. This day was an answer to a heartfelt prayer and had been answered in a way he couldn’t have begun to fathom. There was Mrs. Green’s heartfelt apology, but most of all, there were Jack’s words that rang true the more he thought about them. The so-called enemies were not enemies of blue and gray but squabbling brothers, spilling their blood over their rights and their lands. And what the colonel back at the Lacy house said was true, too. They must come together as a nation to survive. Seth didn’t know how all this would end. He loved his state of Virginia and his family. But somehow they must be unified, working as one to make the United States strong once more.
But for now there was one union that occupied his thoughts—his promised union with Leah. The covenant he had made with her several weeks ago in the parlor of her father’s house. They, too, must stand together as one, as they’d promised. To build a home and a future through the grace and mercy of God.
He prodded the horse. A biting wind ripped through his thin coat, but all he felt was warmth in the vision of Leah set before him. Dear, sweet Leah who accepted him no matter what had transpired. The love of his life and the one to whom he owed so much, more than any money or the hat with a blue ribbon. The perfect woman for him in every way. He would have no other.
Seth leaned forward, pressing his horse into a swift gallop, eager to see her beautiful face and share in this Christmas Day. But a sudden thought held back complete joy. What about the words he had spoken to her, of wanting to dissolve their engagement? What if she now refused him for the hurt he had caused? God, please don’t let me be too late. Please restore what has been foolishly taken away.
Chapter 7
Leah tried to smile as she sat among the family, sharing the glad tidings of Christmas; but inwardly she felt miserable. She heard the family mutter, wondering where Seth had gone this day.
“Maybe he is off fetching some mysterious Christmas gift,” Aunt Gracie said with a laugh.
“I only hope he comes back,” Clara grumbled.
How Leah wished that were true. But blessings seemed hard to come by anymore. An engagement, after all, had been broken. She tried to muster courage on this Christmas Day by recalling the difficulties Jesus faced, even as a newborn when no one wanted to grant his mother a place in crowded Bethlehem. Then He, the King of creation, had to succumb to entering this fallen world in a place inhabited by animals. Surely God understood, and He would give her the strength to face whatever lay ahead.
“Come, Leah. There are some gifts for you.”
Even though she felt apart from the gathering, Leah wiped away a lone tear and ventured forward. One by one, the family gave gifts to each other. Leah found a new fan and some mittens waiting for her under the tree. “How lovely, thank you,” she said, again trying to force her lips into a smile.
“Don’t worry about Seth,” said Aunt Gracie. “Remember that one Christmas when he was younger and went out, only to come back with a milk cow tied to his saddle?”
“I remember that,” said Mrs. Madison. “He’d bargained with some farmer on the outskirts of Fredericksburg and then forgot to get the animal until Christmas.” Her smile faded away. “I’m sure the cow is gone along with everything else we left behind in Fredericksburg.”
“But we have each other,” Mr. Madison reminded his wife, giving her a warm embrace followed by a kiss. “And Leah, I know everything will work out between you and Seth. Time heals.”
Leah couldn’t help the tears that sparked in her eyes. She excused herself and wandered out to the hall. How confident she had been when this day began, filled with determination and faith. But how easily, too, it had faded away. She missed her family and wondered how they were this holiday. She missed her home and the way things were. But most of all, she missed Seth. And now she must release him to find his own path in life. But did she have the strength?
Suddenly she heard the door bang open in the rear of the home and someone shout a greeting. The family streamed into the kitchen area to hail the caller. Leah found her way to the gathering and saw Seth embracing his family. Suddenly their eyes met. In that gaze, she found a change. Hope rose within her.
“Where have you been? Sneaking around as usual?” quipped his sister. “Aunt Gracie has been trying to decide what gift you must be getting.”
“And I’m sure it’s a special one, too,” Aunt Gracie said with a laugh. “Isn’t it, Seth?”
“Maybe they are getting back together,” Clara said wistfully.
“Come, come, I’m sure Seth would like to speak to Leah,” Mr. Madison said, gesturing the family into the drawing room.
Leah stood silent, uncertain what to say. There was no gift Seth could give her this day but the gift of a changed heart. One that found God’s mercy instead of being plagued by remorse. “Where did you go?” Leah managed to ask as her gaze fell to the wooden floor.
“Like Aunt Gracie said. To find a special gift.”
“A gift?” She looked up, suddenly curious.
“I went seeking answers, Leah. I went back to Greenwood.”
Shock radiated through her. “Back to the family that rejected you? But why?”
“I needed to find answers, and I did. The gardener was there, the same gentleman the Greens had sent to watch over the Lacy house and property. Uncle Jack knew what happened while I was held prisoner there. He offered encouragement to me, telling me that what I did helped him and his people a great deal. That there are different ways to look at this conflict, and not through our narrow vision.” He paused. “I needed to see through his eyes, of one enslaved by others. And how there are men wanting to set him and others like him free. That perhaps my help to the Federals had not been in vain after all. Others appreciated it and looked on it as a gift.”
Leah didn’t know what to say but could clearly see that something had changed in Seth’s troubled heart.
“Then as I was preparing to leave, Mrs. Green stopped me.” He held up the bag. “She gave me the money they owed for my work. And she apologized for what her husband said yesterday. She’d heard what happened at the house and absolved me from any wrongdoing.” He reached out and took her hand in his. “Leah, I felt like I was given Christmas gifts from on high today.”
“I–I’m glad, Seth. Now you can do whatever God wills.” She bit her lip, remembering his words earlier that morning, and tried hard not to weep. She turned, preparing to head back to the drawing room, when he touched her arm.
“Leah, I had to find redemption after what happened to me. And a way to renew the pledge we made that day in your family’s home.” He paused. “But maybe I’m too late to redeem it.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. So much has happened between us. Can we still be together? Is it too late for you to marry me, Leah?”
“Is it too late?” She nearly laughed aloud at the absurdity of it. In an instant she rushed toward him. He dropped the bag of money on a nearby table to take her into his arms. “It’s never too late, my dear Seth. And yes, of course I will marry you!”
He kissed her as if he had been away for years. And during this entire time, it might as well have been that long, the way she waited day and night for a miracle. Now they had witnessed the miracle of Christmas, a rebirth of love on the day when love was born and laid in a manger long ago.
“What will you do now?” she asked.
“We need to make plans for our wedding. And then I’ll see what God wants me to do. I know I have done little with the conflict we are in. But maybe there is a place for me still.”
“You mean you’ll still join the army?”
“Maybe I can do something to help both sides. Even as Uncle Jack said, we must come together as a nation or be defeated. I know from working with the Greens that I can be of help, especially with my knowledge of the area and in various tasks. Maybe somehow I can be of use to both sides.” He took her once more in his arms. “But right now I want to be of use to you. To be a good husband to you. And one day, a good father as well.”
She giggled, nestling in his strong arms, enjoying his embrace. When they finally returned to the drawing room arm in arm, the family gazed at them with questions in their eyes. Seth told them what transpired at the Lacy house and then his encounter this day with the Green family. They sat in silence, listening intently to it all.
Finally Mr. Madison cleared his throat. “Well, son, I guess we’ve all learned quite a bit from this ordeal. I would say, too, that this makes Christmas even more meaningful, having gone through what you did.”
“It also makes my engagement with Leah more meaningful, Father. How blessed I am to have a woman willing to stand by me, no matter what I may have done. One who never lost faith, even though it must have been torture for her to wait on God for an answer.”
The look of adoration in Seth’s eyes warmed Leah’s heart. She smiled, and he smiled back.
“Then what are we waiting for?” said Aunt Gracie. “Let’s plan the wedding!”
“… to have and to hold, from this day forward, until death do you part?”
Leah looked up lovingly into the dark eyes of Seth Madison. “I do,” she said without reservation. She had already heard his equally fervent reply to the words that meant more to her than ever before. She barely heard the next words the minister spoke, sealing their marriage. Then Seth was bending over her, ready to give her a kiss in celebration.
Family and friends applauded and gathered around to offer congratulations. Leah clung to the arm of her new husband, thanking God, who had brought them through calamity to stand with joy as one. When she thought how close they had come to forfeiting their chance to be together, she nearly wept.
Leah hugged her mother and father. They had returned several weeks ago from Washington. Seth’s mother dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief before giving Leah a kiss on her cheek.
“I’m very glad you’re a part of our family,” she said. “There is no better woman for Seth.”
“I will agree with that,” Seth added, squeezing Leah’s arm. “There’s no one better to stand by my side and keep me on the straight and narrow.”
“So what will you do now?” asked a cousin.
Leah looked to Seth, who considered the question. “I will be helping with supplies in the area,” he said. “There are people in Fredericksburg who need to rebuild, and in order to get the money, farmers and other folks are hoping to sell goods to both armies. So I will help in negotiating the sales of food, dry goods, whatever I can.”
“And I will supply Seth with food and dry goods—such as a new shirt and knitted socks,” Leah added to the laughter of the families.
Suddenly she felt Seth’s hand tug on her arm. She left the celebration to follow him into the hall.
“No … not again,” she whispered.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The last time we wandered out into the hall after a special announcement, I didn’t see you for days. You had your duties, if you remember.”
“After the engagement, yes, I remember.” He gathered her in his arms. “My dearest Leah, there is only one duty I must see to now. To honor you and love you and be there for you until death separates us, and we meet again in heaven.” He then pulled out a piece of paper from his vest pocket. “But right now I have something to show you….”
“It’s a deed to a house! Oh, Seth, how did you ever manage it?”
“I had some help. A family was eager to move out of the area after the battle and was more than happy to let us have the house. We’ll pay as we’re able. So let’s build our home together and make it a wonderful place for ourselves, our children, and our future.”
Leah had never heard such wondrous words. Her spirit soared as she entered his tender embrace. “Oh yes, Seth. For now and evermore!”
Courage of the Heart
by Tamela Hancock Murray
Dedication
With special thanks to my uncle Grayson Bagley, founding president of the Lunenburg County (Virginia) Historical Society.
I will hear what God the LORD will fspeak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
PSALM 85:8 KJV
Chapter 1
Rural western Virginia, December 1862
The celebratory spirit of Christmas filled the Lambert family parlor. Pine branches decorated the mantel, holly sprigs accented brass candleholders, and evergreen wreaths with red bows hung on the inner and outer doors. Barry Birch’s family never decorated with mistletoe, but Arabella Lambert’s mother had hung a sprig in their hall doorway. The tangy scent of such winter greenery mixed with the heavy odor of logs burning in the fireplace. Barry looked at the face of his true love. Firelight flattered Arabella, though her beauty evidenced itself in the harshest sun.
He swallowed, though he had a good idea what her answer to his question would be.
With the blue eyes he loved so much, she studied him. “What is it, Barry?”
“You know me too good, don’t you?” Unwilling to wait another moment, he dropped to one knee in front of her, observing the skirt of her green holiday dress before lifting his gaze to note her black hair and pink cheeks. She clasped her hands and brought them to her chest. A breath of anticipation escaped her lips.
